Shaking off Marte drama, the Diamondbacks earn 40th comeback win to stay in playoff race

Phoenix (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks have had their fair share of challenges over the past 10 days, contending with another pitching injury and the fallout of one of their star players mysteriously disappearing before a playoff game. Rookie Ryan Waldschmidt injected a renewed spirit into the team on Tuesday night. Coming off the bench as a pinch hitter with two outs in the ninth inning, Waldschmidt hit a two-run, game-winning homer, stunning the Chicago Cubs 5-4.

This triumph marked the team's 40th comeback victory of the season, a league-leading total. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo praised the team's relentless determination and camaraderie, stating, "They have a great makeup. This group is pretty darn special. I legitimately think this group loves each other." The Diamondbacks (70-63) have now moved into second place, just one game behind the San Diego Padres for the final National League wild-card spot.

The Padres suffered a 1-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier that day. Waldschmidt's second walk-off homer of the season was a testament to the team's resilience, with his first occurring less than three weeks ago against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Waldschmidt remarked, "It says a lot about all of us. We’re pretty resilient, we’re never out of a game."

This remarkable moment came as a morale boost for a franchise that has faced some rough patches recently. Three-time All-Star Ketel Marte left the team in turmoil last week due to his unexplained absence before a game in Boston, leading to days of speculation and headlines. The team placed Marte on the restricted list, later moving him to the injured list, in hopes of his return for the team's upcoming series against the Philadelphia Phillies, which begins on August 31.

Additionally, star pitcher Michael Soroka was placed back on the injured list due to a sore arm. Despite these setbacks, the Diamondbacks remain firmly in the playoff chase, displaying a spirit reminiscent of their 2023 season when they narrowly qualified for the playoffs with a 84-78 record and ultimately made a historic run to the World Series. Lovullo concluded, "We're going to go out there and fight."